Kissing Frogs
by GigiLuVe
Summary: Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.
1. Ready to Fold

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

**Title:** Kissing Frogs

**Summary:** Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.

**Author's Note:** I love X-Men: Evolution. It is perhaps my favorite X-Men cartoon out there. Who am I kidding? Of course it is my favorite X-Men cartoon. I am a very big Kitty/Lance shipper and, like the rest of the population, Rogue/Remy shipper. I usually don't write Rogue too much because I don't know that I can write her very well. However, this idea came into fruition and it just so happened that she is the star of it. Therefore, I really hope you enjoy. I do appreciate any feedback or ideas that you would like to contribute. I will certainly try to take all into consideration. So please enjoy!

**Chapter 1 – Ready to Fold**

_She's crying again_, Rogue thought to herself, rolling her eyes. _Why does she always have to cry?_

Across the room, curled up in a little ball atop her bed, Kitty Pryde sobbed into one of her fluffy beige pillows. Rogue knew better than to try to console her. It was best to just let her get it all out then let her vent afterward. If it hadn't been after midnight and if Rogue hadn't been trying to get to sleep, it wouldn't have been as big of an issue.

Rogue rolled over so that her back was to her roommate, thinking that perhaps even the slightest distance would help. When that proved in vain, she tried wrapping one of her pillows around her head, covering both ears and pressing as hard as she could. Though it seemed impossible at the time, she somehow managed to drift off to sleep sometime during the early hours of the morning.

Her slumber didn't last long, though.

"Rogue." A soft voice penetrated through the slumber and the foggy dream world. "Rogue." Perhaps if she just ignored it, she could drift off again. She felt so tired. "Rogue!"

A sharp jab to her rib shocked her awake. "Ow!" she exclaimed, sitting up and rubbing the sore spot. She wiped the sleep from her eyes to identify her attacker. Kitty was seated on the bed next to her, staring intently, her face only inches away. "Kitty, what gives?"

Kitty sat back, giving Rogue her much needed personal space. "You're awake!" she said perky-like.

Rogue groaned and rolled over, covering herself with her blanket again. "No I'm not."

The blanket was wrenched away and she shivered slightly before turning back around. It was obvious she wasn't going to be allowed to go back to sleep. "Come on," Kitty even urged. "I need someone to talk to."

"Go bother Jean. I've had enough of Lance issues for one day."

"I can't, like, talk to Jean," Kitty explained, hopping off the bed and walking toward her wardrobe. "She's always sunshine and rainbows. I need to talk to someone who will, like, wear a storm cloud with me."

Rogue sighed in exasperation and sat up again. "Ok, I'm awake. What did he do now?"

"I suppose it really isn't, like, that big of a deal." Kitty shrugged, somewhat embarrassed.

"It didn't sound that way last night." Rogue pointed an accusatory finger at her. "Your crying kept me up all night."

Kitty jumped back onto the bed, her pink duster gripped in one hand. "Oh, Rogue, I'm so sorry," she apologized. "I really didn't mean to, and I really wish you hadn't heard me crying."

Rogue sighed. "It's ok, really," she insisted.

"It's, like, totally embarrassing." Kitty scoffed awkwardly and brushed some of her chocolate locks behind one ear.

"Well, go on. It was only a matter of time before Lance screwed up again," she urged softly, feeling for her friend.

Kitty whirled to her feet, frustrated. One minute she could be at a loss, sad, regretful, and then she could just turn around and be in a fit of anger. "I was telling him how excited I was for our plans for today, which we had made, like, a week ago. Then he suddenly remembers that he, like, promised the guys that they would, like, throw rocks at an abandoned building or something. I don't remember exactly what his excuse for blowing me off was, but it was definitely something dumb like that." She finished pulling a yellow shirt over her head then twirled around to get some sort of agreement from her roommate. "That's, like, total bullshit, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Rogue confirmed. She swung her legs over the side of the mattress, let her feet rest comfortably on the carpeting for a moment, and stood.

Kitty punched one arm through her duster then another and proceeded to button it. "I mean, what was he, like, thinking? He pulled the same thing last month and received the same reaction. You think he would, like, learn." She dropped her pink pajama shorts and ripped a pair of capri jeans from the drawer.

Rogue nodded distractedly. She was searching for the whereabouts of her leather skirt. "Yeah, but I'm sure it would be different if you two were actually officially dating." It was partially from lack of sleep and partially from the difficulty in freeing her favorite skirt from the bowels of the black hole that resided beneath her bed that prevented her better judgment from stopping her before she had said that. Yet, immediately upon uttering those words, she realized her error.

Rogue knocked her head against the bed frame in her haste to remove herself from underneath it, managing to extract the skirt along the way too. Kitty's angry expression was the first thing she saw when she emerged. She bit her lower lip, regretful.

Kitty shook her head and released a noise of disgust, buttoning her jeans in the process. She was well aware, as much as everyone else, Lance's refusal to make anything between them official. It was really Kitty who suffered; and so, it was made a point to never be mentioned. Rogue messed up, though. She hadn't meant to bring it to the surface, but it had happened nonetheless.

"I'm sorry," Rogue put whole-heartedly.

"No," Kitty told her. "No, you're right." She snagged her brown sandals and purse, ready to charge to the communal bathroom to finish getting ready for the day. "Why do I, like, even try with him? He's never going to change!" She stomped toward the bedroom door, her sandals flying in one swaying hand and her purse in the other. "Thank you, Rogue."

"For what?" she asked in passing, perplexed.

Kitty threw open the door, which banged loudly against the adjoining wall. She spun in the doorway. "You made me realize how, like, utterly useless my efforts with Lance are. Well, I'm done!"

"You're done?"

"That's right! I'm done! No more boys, you hear me?" She was screaming, so obviously everyone could hear her. She exited into the hall. "I'm done!"

Rogue sat perfectly still on the ground and listened to the heavy, angry footsteps travel down the hall. She heard a muffled scream then a door crash open.

"Kitty!" Kurt's scream could be heard echoing throughout the entire mansion. "What are you-WAAAAH!"

She heard the door slam shut and less hurried footsteps approach the room. Kurt, in all of his blue fuzziness, stuck his head inside of the bedroom. A foamy toothbrush was held in his hand and he wore only his sleepwear.

"Rogue," he exclaimed, confused and alarmed, "Kitty just phased into the boys' restroom and kicked me out!"

Rogue stood and stepped tiredly to the bedroom door. "Sorry, Kurt. She's having a tough day."

He was about to respond, but only managed to say, "But-" before the door was shut in his face, cutting him short.

She felt terrible. She certainly wanted the midnight crying to stop, but she definitely didn't want to turn Kitty off to all romance in the process. If there was one thing Rogue really appreciated in her roommate, it was her optimism. Her positive outlook on love and life. She felt as if she had just broken that. Yet, she decided, as she pulled her black leather skirt up over her tights, she could have told Kitty before she had even started in her pursuits that Lance would disappoint her.

"It's just her taste in guys that is questionable," Rogue said to herself. "But I could fix that."

"Are you sure?" a voice asked from behind her.

Rogue screamed and backed into her armoire. Kurt screamed as well, falling off of the miniature chandelier that lit up the room. "Kurt!" she yelled accusingly. Her hands balled into fists. "What are you doing?"

"I just wanted to find out what was going on with Kitty," he explained, rubbing his rump, which he had fallen so heavily on.

"How long have you been there?"

"I just popped in," he said with a shrug. She appeared to relax a little. "By the way, you have a tear in your stockings on the back of your thigh."

"Kurt!" she screamed again.

He held up his hands defensively. "Kidding, kidding. I saw nothing."

Rogue spun away from him, sifting messily through her drawers for her tank and netted shirt. "Get out of here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure!" she yelled over her shoulder.

"No, are you sure you can help Kitty?" he inquired.

Rogue softened and glanced over at him. "I can certainly try. I know I can't do anything about her taste, but maybe I can help her find the right guy." That was when the idea struck her. It was perfect. "I can find her the right guy, Kurt."

"Like play matchmaker?" he clarified, rubbing his hand through his hair.

"Sure." She shrugged. "How hard can it be?"

Kurt smiled playfully. "I think you are forgetting one thing: You don't know anything about love."

At first Rogue got angry. She was about to attack Kurt, but then it dawned on her that he was absolutely correct. She was no expert in that department. In fact, she was probably the farthest thing from expert. That would certainly put a hitch in her plans.

"It looks like we lost this hand to Kitty. We might as well fold," Kurt mused.

"What?" Rogue shook her head, confused.

Kurt shrugged. "I was trying to make a reference to an American game of poker—compare dealing with Kitty's emotions and outbursts to a hand of cards. I suppose it wasn't very good." He chuckled half-heartedly and gave up with a shrug.

"A hand of cards?" Rogue repeated. A spark of an idea came to her. Slowly, it began to form the more she dwelled on it. "A hand of cards."

"Rogue, are you ok?"

She smiled broadly. "Don't give up on me just yet, Kurt. I think I may know someone who can help—a love expert in his own right."


	2. The Recruit

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

**Title:** Kissing Frogs

**Summary:** Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for the positive reviews so far. I wanted to preface this chapter by saying I am not an expert in French. I looked to the internet (yes, the internet) for assistance. Therefore, if I have mistranslated anything, I do apologize.

**Chapter 2 – The Recruit**

It was like a minefield. Sure, she was used to a little mess, but this was something beyond even her comprehension. She had to tiptoe through an aluminum can and plastic bottle debris field that happened to be scattered directly across the front walkway. She tried to understand the purpose of a dilapidated sofa occupying most of the front lawn. Carcasses of old trash bags littered the other side of the yard, with their entrails spilling out all over the grass from animal inflicted wounds. She didn't even want to imagine what could be inside of the refrigerator-sized box that caused it to rustle every other second. Instead, she focused on the front door and reaching her destination.

Rogue breathed a sigh of relief when she was finally clear of all of the garbage, though instantly gagged from the putrid odor that hung in the air. She managed to rap on the door before succumbing and covering her nose and mouth with one gloved palm. The summer sun was not helping at all. In fact, as she found herself waiting for someone to answer, she thought she might faint from the overwhelming stench.

Finally, though, the door swung open.

"What do you want?" Pietro Maximoff greeted in his usual arrogant manner.

"Well hello to you, too," Rogue insisted back. "Aren't all of you guys supposed to be on some sort of man-date or something?"

"Not my scene," he replied quickly. "So, can I help you?"

"Maybe." It was difficult for her to ask anyone for anything, even this little inquiry. She was guarded, as usual, but it couldn't be said that she wasn't trying. She attempted to shift into a more relaxed position, but the garbage was still making her sick. "I'm looking for Remy."

"Not here." Rogue narrowed her gaze in suspicion, which Pietro instantly caught sight of. "Why would I lie to you, Rogue? You haven't even told me why you're looking for him."

She pointed an accusatory finger at him, forgetting for a moment where she was. "You've never needed-" But a fit of gagging and coughing interrupted her. A deep breath had brought her careening back into the cesspool she was currently amongst. She brought her hand back up to her nose and mouth, hoping even that might help. "Damnit, Pietro, how can y'all live like this?"

"Out of sight, out of mind, baby." He smirked slyly.

"Just fight us on your own front porch and maybe you'll win for once. The smell alone would stop us in our tracks."

Pietro seemed to actually contemplate this option. "Hmm, I never thought of that before."

"Remy?" Rogue inquired, trying to move the conversation along. She wanted nothing more than to get away from that dump as soon as possible.

He snapped back to the present. "Yeah, he's not here. I think he went to the park or something."

"The park?" she repeated incredulously. It seemed laughable that Remy LeBeau would ever decide to take in a little nature.

"I don't know, Rogue," Pietro said impatiently. It was obvious he was bored. "Listen, this has been a blast, but frankly I've got better stuff to do. Let's do this again soon." In a whirlwind that could hardly be seen by the naked eye, he disappeared from the doorway and slammed the door.

Rogue proceeded just as carefully away from the Brotherhood's base. It wasn't until she was down the street with the boarding house bobbing in the distance that she removed her hand from her face and breathed deeply. Fresh air penetrated her lungs, rejuvenating her.

"This better work," she said to herself, taking long, determined strides toward Bayville Park.

xXx

"Though this pales in comparison to your beauty, _mon cher_," Remy wooed, and with a flick of his fingers, a red rose appeared in his outstretched hand, "but please accept this rose as a token of my devotion."

The young woman seated on the bench next to him giggled delightedly. She plucked the flower from his grasp and held it up to her nose. "Oh, I simply adore magic tricks," she gushed, and sniffed the sweet fragrance the rose had to offer.

"Well, why didn't you say so, _ma belle_." Remy turned in the opposite direction and dug in his trench coat pocket for his deck of cards. "I have just the trick for you." He extracted the deck and smirked with success.

"Pardon me if I don't swoon at your feet."

Remy jumped in his seat when he turned back around and spotted Rogue standing next to the bench in place of his current conquest. Rogue's arms were crossed over her chest and her weight was shifted to one hip, looking very irritable. He tried to compose himself, and glanced about in search of the young woman he had been wooing. There was no sign of her anywhere. "Rogue," he exclaimed, "not that I am not glad to see you, but where-"

"Why am I not surprised to find you harassing some poor girl?" Rogue slid onto the bench beside him and leaned against the backboard.

He held up his hands and shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "You call it harassment, _cherie_, but others call it _amour_."

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Right. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all."

"Now wait a minute," he replied quickly. "What was this idea of yours?"

She looked him up and down, still not sure if she could rely on him with this little scheme of hers. He hadn't even given his answer yet because she hadn't even asked him yet, and already she was regretting her decision.

"You better wipe that smirk off your face. It isn't anything like that, trust me," she snapped, seeing the gears in his head turn in the dirtiest of manners.

He chuckled. "Ok, ok. Please, Rogue, just tell me why you've come here." He began nonchalantly and effortlessly shuffling his deck of cards.

Rogue sighed. With no other option and the previous night's lack of sleep still weighing on her, she dove in. "I was hoping to enlist your help."

Remy nearly faltered in his shuffling, which would have resulted in a new game: Fifty-two card pick up. He was able to catch himself at just the right moment, though, and prevented this from occurring. "You have come to ask for my help? Hmm, now that's interesting."

"No it's not." She released a sound of exasperation and got to her feet. "I knew this was a mistake."

"Wait, Rogue, please." He reached out and grabbed her gloved hand to prevent her from venturing away any further. His touch caught her off guard. She was frozen momentarily, staring down at the contact. "Try me. I might just surprise you." Her eyes traveled up to the playful smirk on his lips then she wrenched her hand free, cradling it close to her body.

She sat down again. "Before I continue, you should know I only come to you out of desperation. So don't go getting all cocky or thinking there's more to this than there actually is." She swallowed. "You would call yourself an expert when it comes to romance or whatever, right?"

He shrugged. "I suppose." Suddenly, a thought hit him. He leaned forward, perplexed. "Wait, don't tell me you need my help with romance…for you." There was a pause as Rogue tried to soak in what he had assumed then he started chuckling.

Slowly she began to comprehend what he had said and his reaction to such a thought. She scowled and pointed a finger at him. "I'm glad to see that the mere idea of anyone liking me is so laughable. And just for your information, no, I was not talking about myself." She crossed her arms over her chest again in a huff. "But you would have known that if you would have let me finish."

"Alright, I'm sorry. I'm listening. I promise." He slid the deck of cards back into his pocket and wiped a tear from his eye with his other hand.

"I hope so. I didn't come here to be mocked, Remy," she insisted. She sighed and tried to relax again, but her guard was up even more than before. "My roommate keeps me up all night crying and complaining over her jerk-of-a boyfriend. I'm sick of it. I need you to help me set her up with a decent guy so that she will leave me alone and so that I can finally get a good night's sleep."

"And you need my assistance to find this perfect guy for her?"

Rogue shifted uneasily. "Well, I'm not very knowledgeable myself when it comes to this sort of thing. I know her and you know _amour_, as you like to call it. I believe together we can find her someone better."

Remy thought over the offer for a moment. "So you'll get your sleep and peace of mind. Your roommate will get her man. But what's in it for me?"

She was actually at a loss. She hadn't imagined he would expect something out of this deal. Yet, she wasn't surprised. After all, he was always in it for himself, no one else. She couldn't really come up with anything she thought might suffice for him.

"You don't want to just help me out of the goodness of your heart?" she put sarcastically. They both snickered, but she shook her head, returning to all seriousness. "What do you want?"

"A kiss."

"What?"

"I want a single kiss," he stated again. "From you."

At first she appeared confused and embarrassed. Then in the next instant she punched him hard in the shoulder.

"Ow!" Remy exclaimed, grasping the area she just hit.

"That's never going to happen, Remy. Can you please try to take this a little more seriously," she fumed.

"I am being serious. Perhaps you are the one who isn't as committed," he accused.

That took Rogue even more off-guard than the request for the kiss did. "You know I can't touch anybody."

"I'm not afraid of you, Rogue. You or your powers." He smiled charmingly. Instead, it put her off.

She pointed a threatening finger at him. "Maybe you should be. Besides, I don't want you swimming around in my head with all of your lecherous thoughts." She shivered.

"Take it or leave it, _mon cher_." Remy held up his empty hands, indicating he had nothing else to offer.

Rogue was at an impasse. For the sake of her friend and her own sanity she knew that she had to agree. She hated to give Remy the satisfaction, though. But the more she dwelled on it, the more she became convinced that she could actually turn his one requirement around.

"It's going to be a joy looking down at your unconscious body once I get finished with you," she said through her clenched teeth.

Remy smirked. "Is that a promise?"

Rogue rolled her eyes and stood with a sound of disgust. She began walking away before they could finalize anything. If she didn't desperately need his help the meeting would have never even taken place. She always knew what to expect with him—at least his façade. What scared her, though, was what could be lurking beneath that well-groomed and handsome exterior. Though he frustrated her, she couldn't deny that he also intrigued her.

"Hey, Rogue," Remy called out to her. She didn't turn or indicate that she could hear him in anyway. "We'll begin bright and early tomorrow. And no worries, _cherie_, I'll find you."

Rogue responded by flashing her middle finger over her shoulder. She could hear Remy chuckling in her wake, and a pleased smile cracked across her face.


	3. What's your type?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

**Title:** Kissing Frogs

**Summary:** Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.

**Author's Note:** So this is sort of a little in-between chapter that is necessary, but not quite as exciting as the others. It just kind of works to establish a basis for Rogue to go off of, and to actually give some insight into Rogue's feelings and who she might be considering as her ideal. Hint, hint.

**Chapter 3 – What's your type?**

That night, Rogue sat up in bed with a lengthy novel split open against her drawn up knees. She must have read the same sentence over a dozen times. But with her mind in another place, she really didn't notice. Kitty being out and about, even though it was well past sunset, the room was quiet and calm. She would have gladly basked in her solitude if it hadn't been for one person causing her mind to spin: Remy LeBeau.

She couldn't stop dwelling on their meeting that afternoon in the park and the one condition he had laid down in accordance with helping her in her efforts. It was absurd. There really was no other word for it. Yet, she knew Remy to be exactly that. He was always a little lewd and abnormal. He had probably demanded a kiss from her as payment in order to prove something to himself, or else to hold it over her head in the future. Whatever the case, she was determined to not see it through.

But it seemed that the damage was already done. She couldn't get him out of her head.

Rogue tossed her book aside in a huff. "Why did he have to say that?" she asked the vacant air. "He's such a pain."

"Who is such a pain?"

In twirling vigorously in her spot on her bed to spy who had come in the door, she nearly fell to the floor. She caught herself, though, and blushed in embarrassment at her clumsiness. It really wasn't a surprise to find that Kitty had returned. She held her purse by one strap in her hand and she closed the bedroom door with the other.

"So, like, who are you talking about, Rogue?"

"Oh, uh," she feigned ignorance, glancing about drastically for anything to aid in her fib, "Lance." It hit her suddenly and fit so perfectly. "I was just thinking about everything he put you through."

Kitty released a sound of disgust and marched to her side of the room, throwing her purse onto the ground by the foot of her bed. "Don't even, like, get me started, Rogue." She unbuttoned her pink duster and tossed that onto the ground in front of her armoire then slumped onto the bed. "I just came from the Brotherhood's house because I thought that I might, like, be able to get through to him or something. By the way," she held up a finger, pausing herself, "such a pigsty. It really puts the city dump to shame."

"I know," Rogue chimed in before she could stop herself, "and the smell..."

"Since when do you go to the Brotherhood's house?" Kitty inquired, curious.

Rogue instantly realized her mistake. It was true. No one except for Kitty ever really ventured over there. There wasn't ever any reason. "Uh, just had to scout it out. Yeah, Scott is on this kick about knowing every detail about the enemy's base." She scoffed and waved her hand. "You know how he is when he plays leader."

"Like, crazy?" Kitty added with a raise of her eyebrows. Both girls chuckled because it was true. He went a little overboard at times. Kitty sighed and proceeded to occupy herself with putting her clothes away and preparing for bed.

"So," Rogue continued, "you said you went to see Lance. How did that go?"

"Unproductive, as usual. He frustrates me, like, so much, but I can't, like, stop thinking about him. And, do you know what's funny?" Rogue shook her head, enthralled. "He isn't someone I, like, ever thought I would be interested in." She scoffed. "He doesn't seem like he would ever be my type."

Rogue removed herself from her mattress then stepped lightly to Kitty's side of the room and plopped down on her bed. As nonchalantly as possible, so as not to draw any suspicion, she asked, "So what exactly is your type?"

Kitty finished pulling her pink nightshirt over her head then shrugged. "I don't know. He has to be sweet and thoughtful, I think. Oh," she added, "and I wouldn't mind if he was, like, gorgeous."

"So everything Lance is not, basically."

Kitty stopped unbuttoning her jeans and shook her head very seriously. "No, that's, like, not true." She sat on the bed next to Rogue with a sigh. She adopted a faraway gaze, as if she were remembering something from the past. "Actually, Lance can be very caring when he wants to be. That is, when he isn't with the rest of the Brotherhood. And, he has this hot, grungy look about him." She wrinkled her nose, grinning from ear to ear and blushing just as lavishly.

For a moment, Rogue began to have her doubts. She wondered if she was really doing the right thing. Perhaps Kitty and Lance had something together that she just didn't understand. Perhaps this whole scheme of hers was simply selfish, and she was merely trying to convince herself otherwise. But her determination was too strong. She had to make things right with Kitty and see this thing through to the end.

"Well, that's, like, all in the past now," Kitty had continued, standing up and resuming her pre-sleep preparations. "Since we're on the subject, though, what is your, like, type, Rogue?"

Rogue snapped back to the present and had to take a moment to realize what was being asked of her. "My type of what?"

"Boys! What's your type in boys?"

The question seemed instantly ridiculous to her. She didn't think she would have answered it seriously even if she could. Truth was, she had no idea what her type was. No one had ever asked her that question before, and so she had never even thought about what her answer would be. She began to really contemplate her preference, though, without ever revealing it.

She decided Kitty's qualifications were actually quite sound. Well, at least two out of the three; the last one could be modified accordingly. Most importantly, whoever this person was would have to understand her and accept her. After all, it wasn't like she was getting rid of her powers anytime soon. So they couldn't be constantly afraid of her, either. That would never work. She found that she preferred someone who would keep her guessing and keep things interesting with little, but not necessarily bad, surprises or tricks.

Immediately Rogue dashed all corresponding thoughts from her mind. She scowled, and reminded herself how stupid the initial question was and how it had no place with her. She stood from Kitty's mattress, very much done with the entire topic.

"Someone who doesn't have to touch me with a ten-foot pole," she muttered, disgruntled. She stalked to her bed and threw herself beneath the covers. "I'm going to bed. Try not to keep me up again all night."

Rogue didn't actually fall asleep until well after Kitty had turned out the lights. She found her mind chaotic and restless. She would have liked it to be churning with ideas on her upcoming challenge. Instead, it was intent upon dwelling on that question and her answer for it.

She began to wonder if there really was someone out there for her. With her mutation and all, it was quite difficult to get close to anybody, romantic or otherwise. She figured that was why she was always so closed off and distant. It was safer to construct walls to keep people out, rather than the possibility that someone could hurt her. It seemed that such pain should be common, but each and every time felt like the first.

Rogue rolled over and stared through the darkness at Kitty's sleeping frame, buried beneath the quilts on her bed. _Perhaps I'm really trying to do this for me_, she thought to herself. It was very probable that she was projecting her own deep desires onto her roommate, and that the challenge to find Kitty the perfect guy was really her own. In that moment, she really felt the tug of loneliness and desire.

"Or maybe I'm just a fool," she muttered to herself.

Rogue rolled back around and brought her covers over her head and went to sleep.


	4. The List, the Note, and the Library

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

**Title:** Kissing Frogs

**Summary:** Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.

**Author's Note:** So, as a note from GaredBattlespike's comment regarding my spelling/grammar, yes, I tend to be a stickler for such things. Don't blame me, blame school. I take it seriously enough that I can't even type shorthand or text language or whatever it is called through texts on my phone. Sad, but true.

Another thing, I tend to be fairly terrible at writing accents, as well, if that makes any sense. So for characters like Kurt, Rogue, and Remy, just imagine them talking in their typical voices, despite the properness of what is written. ^.^

**Chapter 4 – The List, the Note, and the Library**

Rogue stared across the breakfast table at Kurt, who was stuffing his face with as much eggs and bacon as he could. She had opted for cereal instead, finding her hunger abated due to the scene before her. It was somehow mesmerizing, though, to see someone so little consume so much. She spent more time looking at him scarf his food down rather than eat her own.

"Why the sour look, Rogue?" he asked with his mouth full. "Kitty keep you up again?"

Though it was hardly intentional, she had been wearing a scowl since she had sat down at the table. She was still brooding on the conversation turn from the night before, and still considering ways to put her plan into action. She was taking what Kitty had imparted to her and attempting to pinpoint the perfect guy that fit that description. The hardest thing was that she tended to allow her personal opinion to interfere. That was where Remy would come in handy.

"I'm just trying to keep my food down with the show you're putting on," she retorted in her usual stand-offish manner. She pointed her spoon, which dripped with milk, at him. "You should learn some manners and just maybe more people will find you bearable to be around."

He held his hands out harmlessly, while his tail held his plate. "I'm a very loveable guy."

"Maybe to the right girl," she mumbled in return. "And by right, I mean blind."

"Oh, come on," Kurt insisted.

"Chicks dig the fuzzy dude," a clearly feminine voice interrupted.

"Kitty, that's my favorite part," Kurt whined.

She giggled, walking past her furry friend with an apple fresh from the kitchen. "I know. That's, like, the point."

"Now wait a minute," Rogue began, exasperated. "Kitty, you aren't agreeing with him, are you?"

She shrugged. "I don't know." She bit into the ruby skin of the apple and masticated the innards. "He kind of, like, grows on you."

"Does that _grow on you_, too?" Rogue pointed a finger at Kurt, who was shoveling another load into his mouth. He immediately stopped gobbling and glanced over at Kitty innocently, as if he had no idea what Rogue could be talking about.

Kitty did the same, peering at Kurt with the same confusion. "That's just Kurt. Sure, he can be, like, a little strange and even somewhat inconsiderate at times; and, let's face it, he has, like, a lot of disgusting habits-"

"Hey!" Kurt tried to interject, but didn't get very far.

"But," Kitty continued, hardly noticing the attempted interruption, "that's, like, Kurt. And, you have to accept someone for who they are." She giggled again, convincing everyone in the room that those supposed flaws in him were actually anything but.

Rogue was speechless. Through her disbelief, however, she couldn't deny that she could use that friendship between them to push for something more. _After all_, she thought, _why not?_ She knew that Kurt had always harbored some sort of feeling for Kitty, no matter how deep down it went. It was difficult to say if Kitty saw anything other than friendship as a possibility, but Rogue was sure that, with the right push, she could make things happen.

"Well, I've got to, like, jet," Kitty informed, making her way back to the kitchen. She playfully ruffled Kurt's hair in the process. "You two play nice." Then she was gone.

"See?" Kurt urged. He grinned broadly, showing off his teeth and the pieces of food stuck in them.

Rogue let out a disgusted noise, scowling, and stood up from her seat, nearly knocking her chair down. She grabbed her bowl of now soggy cereal and removed herself to the kitchen, where she threw it into the sink. She had to get moving, anyway. She didn't know when or where Remy might show up to assist her. But in the meantime, she figured she might as well get started on her own.

She followed Kitty to a local café and seated herself across the patio under a nice tree. The sun was a little much for her. From her position, she was able to watch Kitty type away on her laptop, most likely updating her online diary or writing home to her parents, and sipping on the coffee next to her. She appeared perfectly content.

Rogue had ordered a pastry and requested a pen to jot her ideas down on a napkin. She had decided to make a list of the potential candidates for Kitty. At the very top, she had scribbled Kurt's name. She paused momentarily to contemplate this then continued on. She figured her best luck would be with other mutants. After all, it was difficult for a regular human to understand exactly what they had to go through.

Less than thirty minutes later she had a few more names on her list: Bobby, Warren, Forge, and Piotr. She knew that all of these candidates were longshots, but they at least had potential. Bobby was immature, yet of the correct age. His interest tended to jump somewhat sporadically, but under the right circumstance and with the right persuasion, that might not necessarily be a problem. Warren was a bit older than Kitty, but his handsome looks and kind personality had been enough to win her over at the initial encounter. Hell, Rogue couldn't deny that the same had happened with her. Only, he might be a bit too serious. Not to mention, he wasn't around all that often.

Forge had that issue, too, though he was fun and enthusiastic whenever he was around. The whole from-another-era thing could ultimately put a damper on things, also. Piotr would certainly be a little difficult to find at the moment, but Remy could definitely take care of that. He seemed like the strong silent type, but just perhaps Kitty could somehow figure it out with him. _Okay, so maybe he is the biggest longshot of them all_, Rogue decided. She sighed, already exhausted and losing all hope.

"You forgot Pietro."

Rogue chortled. "No way. He's exactly the type we're trying to avoid."

She stopped and looked behind her, realizing suddenly that she was no longer alone. She still managed to jump in her seat when she found Remy loitering behind her by the trunk of the tree. He smiled his usual dashing smirk and gave a slight wave with one hand. "Hey," he greeted coolly.

Rogue scowled. "Do you always sneak up on people?"

"Only the ones I like, _chérie_." He hopped over the low black metal fence that encased the café's patio and sat in the chair across from Rogue. He picked up her half-eaten pastry and began to finish it. "So this is your list of potential suitors?"

"Yeah, what about it?" She glanced at him suspiciously, not terribly concerned over her food.

He shrugged. "Nothing, I guess."

Rogue cleared her throat. "Moving on then…" She looked over the names on the napkin again. "So, what's next? How do we get one of these guys and Kitty to actually go out together?"

"You really haven't done any of this, have you?" Remy pointed out in all seriousness.

She blushed, feeling quite insecure all of a sudden. "Well that's why you're here, isn't it?" she muttered.

He leaned back, looking very pleased and enthralled. "Let me ask you a question, Rogue: Have you ever pictured a date that you would interest you?"

Now he was just making her uncomfortable. "What does this have to do with Kitty?"

"Just answer the question."

She sighed. "I don't know." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybe someplace quiet and not too crowded." She brushed some dark red hair behind her ear nervously.

"Like this?"

"Yes." She shook her head, catching her mistake. "I mean no," she shot back. "Now tell me what all this has to do with finding someone for Kitty."

"So, though that sounds like a lovely time, _mon amour_, I think that Kitty's idea of the perfect date is slightly different," Remy informed. "It would seem to me that she is a bit more open to fun and exciting things."

Rogue pouted. "So what did you have in mind?"

"First of all, cross off Piotr and Warren from your list. They won't be able to deliver." She did as she was told. "You might also want to cross off Forge. Even though that is a nice thought, let's be honest. I don't think she is really into the retro scene, _ne serait pas vous dire_?"

"Sure."

Now there were only two names left: Kurt and Bobby. If she was being honest, she hadn't had much hope in the other three, anyway. Going back and forth between the two, though, she still had her doubts. She hoped Remy knew what he was doing.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Now, I have a little idea." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Instead of trying to force her into a relationship that she is not willing to commit to, because that never works," he chuckled to himself, recalling a past memory, but at one look from Rogue, he continued on, "I say we let her decide."

Rogue shook her head, confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"

xXx

At the Bayville library, Rogue and Remy were hard at work jotting away on separate pieces of paper. They had found an isolated table toward the back of the stacks to continue working on their plan, undisturbed. There were already a few crumpled sheets of paper scattered about the table they shared and still a stack of plain paper that had yet to be used.

Remy kept glancing up in between his sentences to see how Rogue was progressing. When he had raised his head for about the fourth time, she finally took notice.

"Hey, no peeking," she accused. She slid her arm in front of her paper so that it was impossible for him to see.

He smiled to himself and finished scribbling down his thoughts. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Whenever you are," she responded with a mischievous grin.

"On the count of three then. One, two, three." They swiftly pushed each other the paper they had been working on.

Remy began laughing, interrupting Rogue's progress. "What's so funny?" she asked, disturbed.

"You can't give her this. She'll think she is meeting some sort of stalker," he blurted.

They had migrated to the library at the suggestion of Remy to create an anonymous letter addressed to Kitty. It was up to Rogue to plant it and see how her roommate responded. From that reaction, they would then decide who to send to meet her. So far, it seemed that Remy's version of the note was winning.

"It is still better than the first draft you came up with," she insisted.

"I suppose," he chortled. "So what's the verdict on mine?"

"It will work."

"Good." He tossed Rogue's letter aside and leaned back in his seat, relaxing. "So would you fall for anything like this, _ange_?"

"Not a chance," she told. She stared across the table at him. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what, _chérie_?"

"That!" she accused again. "Use little pet names. It's actually really annoying."

He seemed genuinely surprised. "I thought that girls like that. Shows you how much I know." He chuckled.

"Maybe they do. But I suppose I am not like most girls." Rogue wrapped her arms around herself protectively. The statement had actually been quite depressing in its delivery—not going along with the playful nature of the conversation it had been inserted into.

Remy leaned on the table. "That's what I like about you, Rogue."

She looked at him, searched his face. It was difficult to read him, and she wasn't sure if she liked that or not. She always considered a little mystery good, unless it worked against her. She didn't think she would ever be able to figure out Remy, even if she was given hundreds of years.

Remy raised a hand anticipatorily into the air. Then he twisted his wrist and flicked his finger and a rose appeared in his hand. He outstretched it, offering it to Rogue.

Rogue took one look at his little trick and rolled her eyes. She swiped it from his grasp. "Give me that," she ordered. "Add that to your list of annoying habits, too. Now let's get going. I can't stand to be alone with you any longer."

Remy stood up, gathering the balled up pieces of paper in one hand. He saluted her with the other. "Yes, ma'am." Then he led the way out.

Rogue followed a few steps behind him with the actual letter they would use in one hand and the trick rose in the other. When she was quite certain that he couldn't see, she lifted the rose up to her nose and sniffed at its sweet fragrance. Just briefly, a small smile spread across her lips.


	5. Sparks

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

**Title:** Kissing Frogs

**Summary: **Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.

**Author's Note:** So, I am going to point out one thing before this chapter even gets started. Towards the end, you will see that Remy actually stops using pet names with Rogue. Guess why…Except for a little tease at the end of his last sentence. Also, I suppose I should say this: I made up a word. It is "tele-nap," and it is basically a combination of "teleport" and "kidnap." You shall see its usage ahead. ^.-

**Chapter 5 – Sparks**

"Rogue, look out!"

Rogue rolled to the side, just in time to avoid getting zapped from one of the laser arms the Danger Room had employed. The team was running a simulation that they had done numerous times before. Except, this lesson was nowhere near as successful.

She remained crouched where she had landed and threw her head back, pinpointing the positions of all of her teammates. Evan was busy skateboarding around the perimeter and fighting his way through some heat-seeking obstacles there. Scott was, of course, shadowing Jean as much as possible, making sure she didn't get hit as she tried making her way toward their goal: a master computer located at the far end of the arena and surrounded by a blue, electric field. Currently, they were stalled with some bots.

Kitty was running through a field of more laser arms, phasing through their beams and other attempts at stalling her. Rogue jumped to her feet and ran after her roommate, since she was the closest to the goal and because she was the reason why Rogue was so distracted. It was a little more difficult for Rogue to follow in her footsteps, since she wasn't endowed with the same abilities as Kitty. However, she managed to leap and dodge and flip her way closer.

"Rogue!" Scott screamed above the roar of the machinery and action taking place. He had obviously noticed her progression, which wasn't part of the plan he had laid out. She barely paid him any mind, though. "Rogue! You're supposed to stick with Evan!"

"Forget that!" she hollered back.

Kitty, either not looking where she was going or else caught off guard without time to phase, ran headlong into a metal wall that shot up out of the ground in front of her. She bounced off and fell onto her bottom.

There was a flash and Kurt appeared next to her, offering her a hand up. Luckily, Rogue was near enough to catch the interaction, which was specifically what she had been trying to accomplish. After all, she had planted the anonymous letter the night before and, thus far, Kitty had said nothing about it.

Kitty took one look at his hand and turned away from it. "I, like, don't need your help, Kurt," she insisted, getting to her feet and brushing her uniform off.

Kurt appeared hurt and confused. "What are you talking about, Kitty? This is a team effort." He grabbed her thin arm roughly. "Let me teleport you there. Then you can just phase through the gizmo."

"Let me go, Kurt." She fought against his grip.

In the blink of an eye, they were gone with a flash and a wisp of smoke. Rogue rolled out of the way again of an oncoming laser, but her gaze remained focused on the destination ahead where Kurt had intended to go.

An instant later they reappeared about five feet in the air above the master computer. It was obvious there had been a struggle somewhere en route. Kitty was the first to start falling, but Kurt was close in tow, still holding onto her arm. They drew nearer to the electric shield surrounding the master computer; and, at the last second, Kurt teleported them out of the way. They emerged, still in mid-fall, just in front of the machine. Kitty hit the ground hard and Kurt fell on top of her.

"Stop the simulation!" an angry voice growled from the control room above. Immediately, all of the machines stopped and went into hibernation mode and the goal sizzled into nonexistence. "Blue boy, stop messing with half-pint and keep your head in the game." Logan's silhouette was clearly visible in the control room windows, and was obviously very upset over the way the simulation was going.

"Like, get off me, Kurt!" Kitty screeched, knocking him with her fists.

He clambered to his feet, rubbing his head. "Hey! I can't always guarantee a soft landing, ok?"

She picked herself up, as well, then pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Well, next time don't, like, tele-nap me, ok?"

"Alright, that's enough," Professor Xavier's calmer voice ordered from above. "I think it is about time we take a break."

"And come back more focused," Logan added gruffly.

Everyone stalked off through the main door, grumbling to themselves. Rogue drifted toward the back of the pack where Kitty loitered, away from Kurt and a few steps behind everyone else. Luckily, both girls were ready for a little quiet time until they were called back into the Danger Room to repeat the simulation.

"So what, like, happened in there?" Rogue asked as nonchalantly as she could.

Kitty shook her head, her ponytail flying back and forth. "It's all, like, Kurt's fault. He should have just, like, left me alone."

"Yesterday you two were all buddy-buddy, but today you're acting more like enemies," Rogue explained gently.

Kitty stopped when she was sure the rest of the team had boarded the elevator and the door had closed to take them to the surface. She pulled Rogue aside, even though no one was around to hear what she had to say.

"Can I, like, tell you something, and you, like, have to promise not to tell anyone?" she insisted.

"Sure."

Kitty glanced from side to side one last time, making sure that no one was eavesdropping. Satisfied, she told, "I, like, think Kurt has a crush on me."

"You're just now coming to that conclusion?" Rogue jested.

"Seriously, though!" Kitty persisted. "Like, for real this time!"

"What makes you think that?" Rogue inquired, more seriously, as if it wasn't obvious.

"I found a note in my purse last night. There was, like, no name on it or anything—it was just addressed to me."

"Well how do you know it was him?"

"He's, like, always pulling dumb stunts like this." Kitty crossed her arms over her chest, more out of protection than pout.

Rather satisfied, Rogue tried to move on and bait her a little bit. "He could be serious this time, Kitty. Have you ever thought about giving him a chance?"

She looked confused or concerned, or maybe both. "Are you, like, serious?" she giggled, incredulously.

Rogue shrugged. "Sure, why not? He can't be any worse than Lance."

The mood turned sober very quickly. Kitty seemed to really be pondering Rogue's point. "Hmm," she finally uttered, tipping her head to one side, "you may have a point." Then she walked toward the elevator, her mind still deep in thought.

xXx

"You are a hard man to track down, you know that?" Rogue admitted to Remy over the phone that evening.

She had called the Brotherhood to find out a way to reach the Cajun, dialed a few numbers that certainly were not correct, called the Brotherhood again, and finally received the information she need. Needless to say, she had been left a little impatient after all of that.

"I like to keep it that way," he insisted, a clear smile in his voice. "So what do I owe the pleasure of your call at this hour?"

"It's Kurt."

"Kurt?" He sounded awfully confused at first. Then she could hear him start to slowly understand. "Kurt it is."

"I think I may have encouraged her," she stated, none too enthusiastically. She actually sounded slightly ashamed of her accomplishment.

"That's real impressive, Rogue," Remy praised. "I think you are learning a little something from the master."

She rolled her eyes. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Now what's next?"

He chuckled softly. "This part is going to be completely in your hands. You need to copy the time and place from Kitty's letter on a spare sheet of paper and place it in Kurt's room."

"What?" she shot incredulously.

"Oh, and you have to make the handwriting look at least somewhat like Kitty's," he added.

She scoffed. "There is no way I am going to break into Kurt's bedroom." She was obviously still hung up on the first part. The second part would not be so concerning.

"Then kiss your good night's sleep goodbye." There was that smile in his voice again.

Rogue shook her head, ignoring the fact that she wanted to punch him right then. "Ok, so I do that and then what?"

"Just show up tomorrow at the café and we'll watch the sparks fly."

"I highly doubt even with your expertise that any sparks will be flying so soon," she argued.

"Are you doubting my abilities, Rogue?" he questioned, sounding seriously appalled.

"Yes," she stated simply.

"Ouch." He didn't sound hurt at all. Rather, amused. "Well, there will be sparks flying somewhere tomorrow."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why, it is a date for us, too, _chérie. _And, nothing you can say can make me think any differently." The sentence sounded finishing, and Remy knew it. He had even had a winning tone.

Rogue frowned, defeated. "Sometimes I really hate you." And she hung up on him.


	6. Stake Out

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

**Title:** Kissing Frogs

**Summary:** Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.

**Author's Note:** So, according to Google translate again, "Dans le temps, l'amour" should mean something along the iines of "In time, love." I just wanted to clear that up, though it is not necessarily pertinent to the story. Other than that, there isn't anything to really say about this chapter. You shall see when you read.

**Chapter 6 – Stake Out**

It was mid-morning the next day and Kitty strolled casually toward the local café. It had taken her hours, but she had finally decided to wear a strappy cerulean sundress that made her eyes pop perfectly. She had taken the liberty of "borrowing" some of Rogue's jewelry that went with her outfit without asking her roommate in advance. Since Rogue was nowhere to be found, Kitty figured it would be fine, so long as she returned it before it was discovered missing.

With the café just a few buildings away, her feet ceased in the middle of the sidewalk, almost cementing in place. A sudden wave of nerves overcame her, and her legs felt wobbly like Jell-O. She tried taking a few deep breaths, but she still couldn't budge.

"What's, like, wrong with me?" she asked herself with an incredulous laugh. She couldn't understand why she was getting so flustered. "Come on, girl. Like, get with it. It's just Kurt." She swallowed, running her fingers through her bangs, and urged herself forward. With each step closer to her destination, the butterflies in her stomach became more and more frenzied.

Kitty hadn't actually come to a definite decision until that very morning. She figured she should at least go and meet this mystery writer and tell them to back off. But, Rogue's words sat with her: the ones suggesting Kurt to be serious in his advances. That was what made her nervous. Where she had never really been unsure before, she now found herself actually caring how this meeting played out. However, she was being dumb and she knew it. Lance was still fresh on her mind, and somehow or other she knew that that was part of her anxiety.

She had reached the café much sooner than she had intended or liked. She glanced down at the small wristwatch she wore and noted that there was still a little bit of time before her secret admirer appeared. She decided to go on in and get situated so that she wouldn't appear as nervous as she really was.

"Hi," she greeted at the podium, "um, a table for, like, two, I guess."

Recognition flashed across the girl's eyes behind her thick black glasses. "Oh, I actually have a special table for you," she informed with a smile that made it seem that she knew more than she let on. It didn't sit well. But, with little other choice, Kitty followed her.

The table on the patio was definitely set for two with a rose in a vase in the middle of it. Kitty sighed to herself and peered on skeptically. All of a sudden, she wasn't so nervous anymore. She slid onto one of the chairs and ordered some tea before allowing the girl to get back to her podium. She couldn't stop staring at the flower and thinking how different it was from Kurt's usual style.

xXx

"Is that my jewelry?!" Rogue nearly screamed, forgetting in her surprise and frustration that she was camped beneath some bushes just across the street from where her target sat.

Remy tore the binoculars away from her. "You are not going to be allowed to look through these if you can't behave yourself."

"It's creepy enough that you have these lying around, I don't need you patronizing me, too." Rogue's gaze never left the spot where Kitty currently sat solo. She hadn't been terribly excited for their stake out location when Remy had first arrived and showed her. Since she wasn't really the one calling the shots, though, she went along with it. It was a mixture of the dirt and of the close quarters that put her in a foul mood. Seeing her pilfered jewelry was putting her over the edge.

"So, we're just supposed to sit here and watch?" Rogue asked again, still having her doubts.

"Well, that's part of it." Remy held up the binoculars and peered through at his carefully laid scene. "If there appears to be anything disrupting our plan, I shall go in and see to it that it moves along accordingly."

"And we couldn't have had this little stake out somewhere more comfortable?" Rogue extracted a twig from beneath her and tossed it off to the side.

Remy looked over at her with a small smirk. "It's quiet. It's intimate. What more did you want, _chérie_?"

Rogue crossed her arms and turned away from him. "Maybe some better company," she muttered.

"When will you learn, Rogue," and at this point he snaked his arm stealthily around her shoulders, "that there is no better company than me."

She shrugged him off. "Get off of me."

"_Dans le temps, l'amour_," Remy cooed.

Rogue didn't even pretend to know what he had said. Instead, she shook her head and peered out of the bushes again. "We've got incoming," she whispered hastily.

Sure enough, Kurt was sauntering down the sidewalk toward the café. He looked just as nervous as Kitty. He had on his nice khaki pants and pressed emerald shirt. His hands were shoved into his pockets and he carried a determined air about him. His pace slowed as he drew nearer the table, as it was fairly obvious which one was meant for them, and not just because Kitty was already seated at it.

"Alright," Remy announced. "Here we go."

Kurt slid into the empty chair across from Kitty. It appeared as if they were engaged in nervous small talk, which was a little odd for Rogue to witness. They were usually much more comfortable around one another. Her doubt began to grow.

"Do you think this is going to work?" she questioned seriously.

Remy turned toward her, put off by the tone in her voice. "Isn't this what you wanted, Rogue? Kitty will have someone else to occupy her time with—someone who won't hurt her."

"But how do I know he won't hurt her, too? I don't know anything about love and relationships, remember?" she pointed out.

Both paused for a moment and simultaneously turned their heads toward the couple. Their interaction seemed to be going a little more smoothly. They were actually laughing and sharing a pastry.

"Rogue," Remy whispered, turning his attention back onto her, since the situation with the targets was under control, "I'll let you in on a little secret."

"Hmm?" She looked curiously at him.

"Love is never free from heartache."

"Well, that's not promising."

He shook his head quickly. "It isn't always bad. You see," he picked up her gloved hand and held it softly in his, "the heartache allows us to appreciate and understand the love that we have."

She ripped her hand away from his grasp. "Sure. Whatever you say, Romeo."

"I know what you're thinking, Rogue. You can't let the fear of getting hurt stop you from experiencing love. Otherwise, you'll find yourself with a bunch of lost opportunities."

Rogue could feel her cheeks warm with flush. She was suddenly very aware of their proximity and the isolation of their location. Her heart quickened in her chest and the pit of her stomach began to twist in knots. She could feel her muscles weakening, relaxing with the urge to fall into him. For once it seemed that perhaps there was someone who understood.

Her eyes shifted beyond Remy's head. She could see through a little break in the foliage, and it made her heart sink. In fact, it chased away the entire moment and returned a scowl to her face.

"Speaking of lost opportunities…" She nodded in the direction of Remy's work of art.

Remy, out of the mood now, as well, peeked out of the bushes. His face fell. The one thing that could ruin their plan had appeared. Well, more like the one person, and he had come upon the table directly.

xXx

"How is it, like, any of your business?" Kitty asked heatedly, her hands on her hips.

"How can you even say that?" Lance Alvers roared back. "When it comes to you, of course it is my business!"

Everyone on the café's patio was staring at the scene the two were making. Kurt was rather perplexed and still seated. Kitty was very aware of all of the eyes on her, but she was so driven by emotion and frustration that she simply didn't care.

"Oh, so now you want to, like, say that you care? What took you so long, Lance?"

He pointed angrily at the two of them. "Listen, I don't like whatever is going on here, Kitty." He grabbed her arm. "I think it's time we leave." Then he noticed everyone's eyes. He shrugged off his brown vest and held it up against her. "And would you please cover up?"

Kitty shoved his vest back at him, but it was Kurt who stood and defended her. "It's obvious she doesn't want to go anywhere with you. Why don't you scram?"

Lance glared at Kurt, threateningly. "Fine, I'm gone." He shoved his vest back on and turned his back on them to go. However, he didn't move. Instead, he glanced back over his shoulder with one last trick up his sleeve. "But I'll be damned if you two are going to finish your little date."

He stuck his hand out and the ground began to quake. The onlookers gasped in fear and shock, bracing themselves. Kurt vaulted over the fencing that surrounded the patio and knocked Lance off balance. It caused him to shift his abilities.

Rogue and Remy realized too late that that routed the quake straight toward them. The ground below them bucked and threw them upward out of their hiding place. Remy landed on his back on the sidewalk in plain view. Rogue landed on top of him, knocking the wind from his chest and wrenching her shoulder.

"Rogue?" Kitty spied from across the street, much to her surprise and concern.

It gave Lance the necessary number of seconds to compose himself. "Bad move. You're going down." He sent out another set of tremors. This time the innocent bystanders screamed and ran off to a safer location. Kurt and Kitty stood their ground to face whatever was coming.

The ground rolled up underneath Kitty's feet. Still distracted by Rogue's sudden presence, Kitty was caught by surprise and her balance faltered. She fell into the tables and chairs that were being rocked on the patio, rolling over them and onto the ground. They tumbled around her and on top of her.

"Come on," Remy urged. Rogue slid off of him and he assisted her to her feet once he was securely up on his.

Kurt was attempting to reach Lance and stop him, but each move he made was obstructed. He teleported onto the café's overhang to get above the action and plan his next move. Lance spotted him, though, and altered his course accordingly. The building began to shake violently, and the iron hinges holding up the overhang started to loosen. They squeaked and cracked and finally broke free of the building; and, the awning started to tumble toward the patio.

Lance noticed what he had done immediately. "Kitty!" he screamed. He sprinted toward where she had fallen, his heart racing and his mind dreading the worst.

Rogue saw the imminent disaster, as well, and was headed in the same direction. She lost sight of Remy—not that she was concerned about him in that moment. She had gotten Kitty into this mess and she sure as hell wasn't about to let anything happen to her.

Kitty was aware of the awning falling quickly toward her, but the wrought iron tables and chairs on top of her slowed her movements down, even her phasing. She hated to admit it, but it was up to one of the others to intervene somehow. She wasn't one to give up, though, and continued to struggle.

"Phase!" Lance ordered. He didn't stop sprinting. As he passed by Kitty, he grabbed her outstretched hand and continued forward. Doing as he had commanded, she was able to phase through the furniture, while simultaneously being dragged from the site of the oncoming disaster.

Just as they reached a safe area beyond the patio, Kurt popped up and scooped Kitty away from Lance then swiftly teleported away. Lance was taken by surprise. He pivoted to see what had happened when Rogue's bare hand came out of nowhere.

"You had your chance," she quipped. Her fingers grazed his face, but he instinctually threw up his arms, hitting her in the process.

Rogue fell backward with a grunt and was caught by a strong arm and solid body. She looked up to see Remy surrounding her. He held onto Lance's vest with one tight grip. He looked threatening and very serious.

"Now you and I both know what will happen if I let go of you," he growled to Lance, who was looking woozy from the brief brush from Rogue. Remy pulled Lance closer. "I think it would be best if you scram."

Remy threw Lance back, releasing him from his explosive power at the same moment. Lance rubbing his head, not quite sure where he was or what was going on. He stumbled away, throwing one last glance over his shoulder at where Kitty was, and disappeared.

Rogue looked up into Remy's face and smiled, still supported by one of his arms. It was pleasant—a thank you for his assistance. He seemed relieved; and for once, Rogue was quite sure she saw his genuine smile. However, it was short lived.

"Rogue," Kitty called from somewhere beyond the moment.

"Huh?" Rogue righted herself and looked behind Remy, slipping her glove safely back onto her hand.

Kitty had regained her composure and had her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently. She looked disappointed and angry. Her leg was rather cut up from her fall, but it seemed a secondary concern. Kurt, on the other hand, loitered idly by, confused.

Rogue knew instantly that this was not going to turn out well. Her plan had just been found out and there was no longer any use hiding it. It had all been screwed up anyway. She didn't want to think about how Kitty would react to hearing the truth, though. There was sure to be a lot of upset individuals in her near future.

She winced then when Kitty demanded, "Can you, like, please tell me what is, like, going on here?"


	7. Truth?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

**Title:** Kissing Frogs

**Summary:** Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.

**Author's Note:** To be completely honest, this chapter started out going one way then completely switched to go in a different direction. I hope this works. Also, as a note, "ma petite boulette" translates to "my little dumpling" according to google translate.

**Chapter 7 – Truth?**

"So, are you guys going to, like, explain what exactly you're doing here?" Kitty urged, angry and annoyed. Her arms were crossed haughtily over her chest and her foot continued to tap impatiently.

Rogue wasn't at all surprised that her roommate expected some sort of answer. After all, it appeared quite suspicious. What had seemed to be a good time had suddenly turned when Lance Alvers had shown up unannounced. Then, Rogue and Remy had fallen out of a bush across the street. _No wonder she's curious_, Rogue admitted to herself. _This whole thing was one giant freakshow._

Despite completely understanding Kitty's demands for the truth, Rogue was still at a loss on how to proceed. There was still potential for Kurt and Kitty and she didn't want to ruin that. Even so, any other excuse that popped into her head seemed dumb and unbelievable.

"Um," she prolonged, trying desperately to think of something, anything.

"We were on a date," Remy replied quickly. He wrapped his arm somewhat awkwardly around her shoulders and pulled her in close. She fell against his chest.

The expression on Kitty's face revealed how impossible the idea seemed. Her sapphire eyes darted from one to the other, attempting to comprehend the information she was just given. Rogue tried to play it as convincing as possible. She smiled from ear to ear and leaned her head against his torso. She was pretty sure she looked more ridiculous than convincing.

But, after a few more scrutinizing moments, Kitty grinned and clapped her hands together excitedly. "That's, like, perfect."

Rogue frowned. "It is?"

"Yes." Kitty nodded enthusiastically. "I, like, always thought that you two would somehow end up together."

"You did?" Rogue questioned again.

"Of course she did, _ma petite boulette_," Remy corrected swiftly. He was always coming to the rescue.

She rolled her eyes. With no choice but to play along, she added with the most strained smile, "And why wouldn't she, my buttered baguette?" She slapped him a couple times on the cheek in an affectionate manner, but just hard enough to make it sting. Then she turned her attention back to Kitty. "Can I talk to you for a minute alone?" She looped her arm through the other girl's and they strode off together, leaving Remy behind to comfort his cheek.

"You two are, like, so good together, Rogue," Kitty told once they were out of earshot.

"Just forget about that." Rogue shook her head to dismiss the whole idea. "Are you okay? I mean, with Lance suddenly appearing." Then she added quickly, "We saw the whole thing from across the street. He looked really mad."

Kitty shrugged. It was evident she didn't care to even think about the incident. "I'm, like, fine. And you don't have to, like, worry about Lance. That is so over."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Well…no, I suppose not. But, of course, I'll have to be," Kitty concluded eventually. "Besides, there may be someone else now." She wore a mischievous grin.

"Oh," Rogue attempted to play dumb, "who would that be?"

Kitty grew a little self-conscious. "You can't, like, judge me, Rogue. But, there's, like, Kurt."

Rogue paused for a moment, pretending to be shocked and amazed. "Well I think that is a terrific idea, Kitty."

"You do?" It was Kitty's turn to be disconcerted.

"Yes. I mean, you two get along great," Rogue convinced. "It's, like, perfect."

"I suppose," Kitty responded, unsure. "Anyway, we were, like, on a date, I guess, and that's why Lance, like, went ballistic." There was just a moment where she appeared slightly hurt. Rogue came to the rescue as quickly as possible, pushing her in the direction she wanted her to go.

"He'll be much better for you than Lance was," she insisted.

Kitty nodded half-heartedly. "Let's go back. I don't think we should, like, leave the boys alone too long."

Rogue chuckled in agreement and they started back. She was surprised at how relieved she was suddenly feeling. She could almost say that she had succeeded, but just needed a few more days for reassurance. And in those few days, Remy would be ready to claim his reward, too.

Her face fell. She suddenly felt slightly sick. She had other plans for that kiss of his that he wanted so badly, but she wasn't quite sure anymore if the kiss itself was what turned her stomach so. It almost seemed that it was the idea of betraying Remy.

She watched him casually conversing with Kurt. He was always so effortless in everything he did. Suddenly, she felt her stomach tighten and a weight of sorrow fall on her. She wanted to be comforted by him—be held in his strong embrace. But soon, very soon, she wouldn't be subject to his presence anymore. They would go back to being enemies and not allies. Instead of the idea making her feel better, it actually pained her more.

Kitty skipped forward and linked her arm in Kurt's. The boys had stopped their conversation when they had seen the girls approaching. "Come on, Kurt. Let's, like, leave these two alone," she insisted, almost dragging him off.

"O-Okay, Kitty," he stammered. It seemed that he was almost trying to catch up to what was going on. Kitty whispered something in his ear, which made a wave of understanding wash over him. "Oh, right." He winked at them over his shoulder.

"That was odd," Remy concluded once they were far enough down the sidewalk.

"Tell me about it," Rogue agreed. She brushed some hair nervously behind one ear. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious around him. She didn't know what came over her, but she didn't like it one bit. "Thank you, by the way, for what you did."

"What I did?" He seemed genuinely perplexed. "What did I do?"

"Y'know, stopping Lance," she reminded.

Remy shrugged. "Don't mention it."

She paused, though, clearly not finished. "And, I guess, for helping me out back there with Kitty, too."

He grinned. "My pleasure, _chérie_." It didn't bother her as much as it used to, and they began to walk.

"So, what's next?" She glanced up at him, blinking from the radiant sunlight.

"Next, I suppose, we have to seal the deal."

"What?" Rogue blushed profusely.

He chuckled. "We just have to make sure that Kitty and Kurt become official."

"Oh, right, yeah." She attempted to find distraction in their trail. "And how would we do that?"

"While you two ladies were gossiping, I casually dropped word of a rather fantastic restaurant to Kurt," he explained.

"First of all we weren't gossiping," Rogue insisted, pointing at him accusingly. "And second of all, how are you so sure he picked up on your little hint?"

"Okay, so maybe it wasn't as casual as I let on. After I assured him it had worked for me in the past, he assured me that he would take me up on that." Remy appeared mighty proud of himself.

Rogue let out a sound of disgust. "Just tell me where we are meeting."

"Well that's the thing," Remy approached cautiously. "Make sure you wear your best outfit."

She stopped bluntly. "Why would I have to find my best outfit?" When he didn't answer right away she attempted to coax more information from him. "Remy?" She didn't sound enticed at all. Instead, she sounded quite disturbed and upset.

"We'll have to actually get a table to be able to monitor them." By the expression forming on Rogue's face, he knew exactly how she was about to react. He tried to cut her off. "Now, Rogue, before you overreact, hear me out. It will be quite impossible to interfere or even know what is happening unless we are inside. And in order to remain inside of the restaurant without drawing too much attention to ourselves, we need to pretend like we are actually there to enjoy ourselves. Understand?"

"Of course I understand, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," Rogue pouted. She walked past him, but was very aware that he was still just one step behind her. "So where is this place?"

"I'll just pick you up at the mansion."

She turned on him. "No way. This is just another attempt of yours to get me to go on a date with you."

He held his hands up innocently. "Why would I do that when I have a kiss waiting for me at the finish line?"

She clenched her teeth in order to maintain her composure. She could feel a flush steadily creeping up her neck to her cheeks, though. She began stalking ahead of him again. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't get your hopes up."

He grinned. She could tell he was just by the tone of his voice. "You just need to keep your eye on the prize, Rogue. We're nearly there."

"Good. Then I won't have to listen to you anymore."

"After that kiss, I'll do whatever you want me to do."

"How about disappear?"

Remy chuckled. "I think you like me more than you let on, Rogue."

She faltered in her strong step, her cheeks burning. "Yeah right," she insisted, but even she didn't believe herself.


	8. Table for Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

**Title:** Kissing Frogs

**Summary:** Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.

**Author's Note:** So again, from Google Translate, '_la perle'_ means 'the pearl' and, of course, '_s'il vous plaît'_ means 'please.' This chapter is going to get a little intense, but just keep in mind that things need to get intense to get better.

**Chapter 8 – Table for Two**

Rogue really had nothing that would fit the occasion, so she did the only thing she could: she went into Jean's room while she was out and "borrowed" one of her dresses. They were roughly the same size, though Jean was certainly taller. So what would have been a mini emerald green dress on Jean actually fit Rogue perfectly. It would have bared too much skin for her liking, since it was strapless, but the black lace that overlaid the dress covered her shoulders and chest. The addition of her gloves sealed the security she had initially lacked.

Kitty had just left for good when Rogue had started getting ready. She didn't want her roommate to become too suspicious. At that point, she hurried along. She had thrown on the dress. She had dragged a brush through her short hair. When it came time for making up her face, though, she had taken a bit more precaution. She kept telling herself she really didn't care; but even so, her hand moved slowly and dexterously.

She put on her bath robe over the outfit to remain inconspicuous as she waited for Remy to arrive. She maintained the guise of relaxing with a good book, but really her focus was on the porch outside of the window. It was close to an hour before she received reassurance that she was not stood up.

A car that she was unfamiliar with pulled up around the drive. As soon as the driver's side door was pushed open and the faintest detection of Remy was visible, Rogue flew up out of her seat. She was determined to prevent any of her housemates from seeing him there and asking too many questions. She threw off her robe, not concerned about the flak she would get later from leaving her clothes lying around, and, after retrieving them from behind her chair, stumbled to slip on the matching heels.

She reached the door just as Remy did, startling him when she swiftly tore it open. His hand was out, ready to knock, and his eyes were wide in surprise. Rogue did her best to smile apologetically and not appear as hectic as she felt.

"Let's go," she insisted, attempting to hurry him along.

It took a few seconds for Remy to compose himself, but when he finally did, he was able to fully absorb Rogue and her new look. It was evident once a nice, impressed smirk spread his lips.

"Rogue, I must say, you look-"

"Save it," she snapped, cutting him off.

She stomped past him, letting out a disgusted sigh. Needless to say, she wasn't used to walking in heels and was therefore rather wobbly on them. As she got closer to the car, her foot slipped off of the stiletto and she nearly tumbled embarrassingly to the ground. Luckily, though, Remy was right there, unbeknownst to her. He grabbed her around the waist, preventing her from going down, and righted her.

"Thanks." Rogue blushed.

"You might need some lessons with those things before you twist your ankle," Remy pointed out, none too kindly.

She narrowed her eyes. "And whose fault is it that I'm wearing these things in the first place?"

"Touché," Remy purred.

He assisted her into the vehicle and closed the door in a very gentleman-like way. She watched him through the windshield crossing over to his side of the car. That was when she realized the lengths he had taken, as well. He was dressed appropriately as much as she was. It was obvious he had taken pains to prepare himself accordingly. And, she couldn't help mentally commenting, he actually looked good. But all of those thoughts were chased away when he pulled open the door.

It was only when they were on their way and the silence and anticipation fell heavily upon them that Rogue finally felt how awkward the situation really was. "So where did you pick up this ride?" Rogue questioned, trying to make small talk and waste time until they reached their destination.

Remy shrugged. "Its owner left it running to pop into the store and I thought it looked nice." He shot her a mischievous grin. "Might as well ride in style, _chérie_."

"Forget I asked," she muttered, crossing her arms and turning away from him, unimpressed. "So, like, where are we going?"

"You'll see." She sighed impatiently, causing him to pay attention. "You need to learn to relax, Rogue. Open yourself up to new experiences. Trust me. You'll thank me later."

"I don't need any advice from you, Remy," she retorted.

"You never need any advice or any help, Rogue," he stated all too seriously. Her breath caught in her throat. "You know, it's okay to trust other people once in a while. Not everyone is out to hurt you."

She paused momentarily. "But I can hurt everyone." There was pain evident in her voice, despite her attempt to cover it up.

"Not everyone," Remy comforted just as softly.

She peered over at him, curiously. She yearned to give herself over to him, but something stopped her. It was the same thing that stopped her every time. She considered that perhaps he was different, and perhaps he was being sincere in his attempts. She wanted so much to believe him. She would have given anything to. It was her defenses that just wouldn't allow it.

They rode in silence the rest of the way. Luckily, though, they didn't have very much further to go. The car pulled into a parking lot next to a building with an exterior sign reading '_La Perle_.' Rogue nearly climbed directly out of her seat when she read this. She turned immediately to Remy.

"_La Perle_?" she questioned incredulously. "Could you pick a place anymore expensive?"

Remy chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Rogue. They know me here. Kurt and Kitty are taken care of and we will be too."

He meant to open the car door for her, but she beat him to it. She gave him a look that told him to back off, and he took a step back. However, the walk from the parking lot to the door of the restaurant proved to be quite strenuous in her current footwear. Her heel slipped here and there, threatening to make her fall at any moment.

"You look ridiculous," Remy told her, coming up to assist her. "Here, let me help."

"Don't touch me," she insisted, "I've got this."

Just as she batted him away, though, she lost her balance. He caught her before she could submit to gravity, much to her chagrin. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her in place. He held a secure grip on her, so that she couldn't wriggle out of his grasp.

"Now are you going to let me help you?" he asserted.

Without much of a choice, and rather taken in by his insistence, Rogue didn't argue. She allowed herself to be led into the restaurant.

"Welcome to _Le Perle_," the hostess greeted with a very bad French imitation, not looking up from the computer screen in her podium. "How may I assist you?"

"Table for two," Remy informed.

The girl glanced up and her eyes instantly lit up. Her cheeks flushed slightly and a smile spread her lips. "Oh, Remy, it's you. Welcome back."

He smiled back at her. "Thank you, sugar."

"Your usual table then?"

"Actually," and at this point he leaned on the podium, creating a more intimate interaction, "there was a nice young couple that came in here a little earlier. They may have dropped my name upon arrival. The young man had a thick accent and the young woman was a very cute brunette. Ring any bells?"

The hostess nodded enthusiastically. "Of course. I sat them near the window."

"May we have a table near them, _s'il vous plait_?"

"Of course." The hostess giggled, grabbed two menus, and led the way. "Follow me."

Rogue looked skeptically at Remy, who noticed it just at that moment. He shrugged. "What?"

"Do you ever stop?" She shook her head and followed the hostess.

They were seated a few tables away—far enough to allow some anonymity, but close enough to monitor how the couple was doing.

"So we just need to make sure nothing goes wrong?" Rogue asked again. It was the third time since they had sat down.

"Again, yes. Now just take a deep breath. I don't know why you are so nervous anyway."

In fact, she wasn't entirely sure herself. It was like she was rooting for Kitty and Kurt to succeed, but didn't know where all of that enthusiasm came from. Certainly she would love some peaceful sleep. Yet, she knew that all of her efforts were not just for some rest. There was some underlying intent that eluded her.

Rogue waved his suggestion away. "I'm just hungry. I'll be fine once our food gets here." She sighed, tearing her eyes away from Kurt and Kitty. She brushed some hair behind her ear. "So, like, do you bring all of your dates here? Is that why they know you so well?"

Remy shook his head. "Not quite. Actually, there were some guys harassing the owner's daughter. I took care of them for him, and he has been grateful ever since."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "So you helped this guy out without any benefit to yourself? It seems almost too good to be true."

"Well," Remy broke, "she was very cute and now I can eat here with a very big discount."

Rogue laughed. _Typical_, she thought. Yet, it wasn't as typically annoying. In that moment, she forgot all about her plan to set Kitty up. She forgot where they were and why they were there in the first place. She found herself easing into Remy's company and enjoying it.

Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She spied a woman with a basket of flowers standing next to Kitty's and Kurt's table, offering a handful of roses. Rogue motioned with her head in their direction.

"Did you do that?" she asked Remy.

He just smiled. "What do you think?"

"Not bad. Kitty will definitely like it."

Then he stretched out his hand and placed it gently on top of hers, which was resting on the table. She blushed, surprised. She seemed even more shocked to see the sincerity in his eyes as he stared at her.

"What about you, though, Rogue?" he asked. "Would you like one?"

"Um…" Rogue hesitated, unsure how to answer. "I-I don't think so."

"Relax and enjoy yourself, Rogue," he insisted. "You did it. They are as good as together. Your plan is successfully complete."

"I suppose." She shrugged uncomfortably.

The woman with the flowers was making her rounds. She neared their table, her basket still brimming. Remy seemed more interested in getting her a flower than she was in receiving one. In fact, he was awfully eager with her all of a sudden. It unsettled her.

"And that means," Remy continued, "I am ready to accept that kiss at any time." He turned toward the woman with the flowers, who had come upon their table. She was offering assorted flowers to them. Remy became engaged in finding the perfect one.

Rogue used this minute or two to reflect. All of a sudden she felt very defensive and insecure. Most of all, though, she felt a strange sense of betrayal. _So that is all there is to him_, she mused to herself. _He is only in this for his 'prize.'_ She berated herself for now knowing any better, or for at least letting her guard down. The truth was that she couldn't expect anything more from him.

That one little notion completely shut her down. She wanted nothing more than to run out of that building and never see Remy ever again. She had been crazy to come up with her stupid little plot to set Kitty up and she had been stupid to enlist Remy to help her.

"How is this one?" Remy inquired, showing off one of the flowers.

Rogue shook her head. "I don't want a flower."

Remy went back to the pile and pulled out a different one. He offered her the new one. "Well what about this?"

She slammed her hands on the table and stood up, her chair falling over onto the floor violently. "I said I don't want it."

She attempted to push the flower away from her, but ending up pushing it into the woman carrying the flowers. She stumbled backward into the table behind her, rattling the dishes and the occupants.

"Rogue," Remy started, alarmed, "what's-"

"Stop it!" she ordered. "I don't want to hear it anymore. I'm done with this."

Just as she turned, the waiter with their dinner approached the table. Her heel gave out on her just at the right time, and she ended up falling into him and the food onto her. By now the entire restaurant was aware of the ruckus. Despite being sprawled on the floor and covered in food, she wasn't concerned with everyone else. Her mind was still occupied with Remy and her sudden anger toward him.

Even so, Remy offered his hand to help her up. "I don't know what suddenly got into you, but let's go."

She batted his hand away, crawling up to her feet. "I don't want your help." She ripped off her shoes, aggravated. "Damn these shoes!" She held them in her hands almost like weapons, which caused Remy to back up a step. "I don't care that I was able to set Kitty and Kurt up. That doesn't matter to me anymore. And you can forget your little prize. I was never going to go through with it anyway." She held her arms out, as if to show she had nothing left. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but now you can pretend like this never happened and go back to your bimbos."

"Rogue." The voice made her turn. Kitty was standing nearby, looking hurt and angry. "Is that true? None of this would have, like, happened without your, like, hand in it?"

Her fire ebbed. Seeing Kitty standing there in so much emotional pain really hurt Rogue. She realized then just how far she had taken things. "Yes," she breathed, much to her dismay. "I am so sorry. I only did it to keep you from getting hurt time and time again by Lance."

Kitty shook her head, tears welling up. "You don't, like, know anything, Rogue." She strode out of the room in a fit.

"Kitty, wait," Kurt tried, going after her.

Rogue watched them disappear from sight then turned back toward Remy. Instead of anger, she felt shame. There was nothing for her to do about it, though. The damage had been done.

"Remy," she stated softly.

"I don't stick around where I am not wanted, Rogue," he informed. "Consider yourself off the hook."

Shaking his head, Remy pivoted on his heel and walked out of the restaurant, leaving Rogue standing in the middle of the room with deep regret and bits of food dripping from her.


	9. Road to Recovery

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

**Title:** Kissing Frogs

**Summary:** Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.

**Author's Note:** First of all, I do want to thank everyone for their comments and follows. They are much appreciated. Secondly, though, I want to apologize if I did mistake Rogue's height and Jean's height. However, the stats that I found suggest that Rogue is 5'6" and that Jean is 5'10". I am not sure how true this is, since it is from X-Men: Evolution Wiki, but those are what I went off of. So for now, and meant as no inconvenience to anyone, I think I will just keep the last chapter as is. One last thing, for this chapter, excuse all of the metaphors.

**Chapter 9 – Road to Recovery**

Well, she had certainly made a mess of things. Remy was unreachable again, like he once had been. Kitty was pretending she didn't exist, which basically meant avoiding the room except to sleep in and get refreshed in, and refused to listen to anything she had to say. Kurt was perhaps the least harsh. He did his best to remain on Kitty's side, but he still acknowledged her…at times. Then there was Jean, who wasn't speaking to her because of the barbeque sauce and mustard and gravy stains on her "borrowed" emerald dress refused to wash out.

Not that it was anything out of the ordinary, but Rogue had taken to sitting by herself in the gardens in the back of the mansion. She would stare out across the foliage on those summer days and replay everything that had happened over the past week. She still asked questions that she didn't have answers to. She still regretted decisions that she had made that couldn't be undone.

It was to the point where Rogue couldn't take anymore. She had to do something—at least try to make it right. She found her opportunity one evening when, heading in for the night, she found Kitty in the shared bedroom, preparing for sleep herself. Rogue closed the door to offer them some privacy. Kitty had ventured a glance at the intrusion then continued in her nighttime routine.

Rogue sighed, frustrated and ready to take action. "Alright," she announced, "we're going to have a chat. You can't keep ignoring me, Kitty."

More than likely because she realized that not saying anything was futile, Kitty retorted, "Yes, I can. And I, like, should. What you did, Rogue, was completely, like, unacceptable." Kitty stopped and hugged herself, looking out the window at the dark sky. "Not to mention, like, completely hurtful."

"You have to know that I didn't mean for it to be," Rogue insisted, coming forward cautiously. "It just got a little out of hand, I guess."

"What were you even trying to, like, accomplish, Rogue?" Kitty asked, whirling around.

Rogue became a little sheepish. "I wanted you to be happy. And," she added, quieter, "I wanted a peaceful night's sleep."

"What?" Kitty shrieked incredulously. She stomped over to Rogue and pointed a finger at her angrily. "You basically, like, ruined my life so that you could, like, sleep better at night?" She crossed her arms haughtily over her chest. "How's that working for you?"

"Listen," Rogue tried to explain, but was having trouble finding the right words, "I'm not explaining this right. It was for your benefit—to find someone who would actually make you happy."

"Save it," Kitty snapped. "You just, like, want to make everyone's life something that you, like, approve of."

"I-" Rogue tried, but was immediately cut off.

"You can't always, like, have a say in my love life, Rogue," Kitty explained, the volume of her voice lowering. "You can't, like, meddle in it and, like, toy with it to meet your own expectations."

"I know," Rogue agreed, meeting the level of her voice.

"This may sound odd to you, but, like, sometimes you have to kiss a bunch of frogs before you, like, find your prince. And, like, maybe what looks like a dead end in the beginning will, like, turn into a path to a possible future."

By that point, Kitty had sunken down onto her bed. It was obvious that she was still trying to come to terms with her situation and everything that she had left behind. Rogue cautiously sat down on the mattress next to her. It seemed that she had calmed down enough for a little interaction.

"You're absolutely right," Rogue agreed softly. "I didn't understand your relationship with Lance, and I still don't. But perhaps that is something special that you two share."

Kitty glanced up at Rogue and smiled slightly. "It, like, seems like you learned a lot. Remy must have, like, really rubbed off on you."

Rogue's heart fluttered and her cheeks began to burn. She sat up straighter, on edge. "I mean, he was pretty much the brains of the operation. I don't really know anything about that stuff."

"I wouldn't have, like, known that from, like, the way you're talking now."

Rogue shrugged nonchalantly. "It's no big deal."

Kitty stood, continuing with her routine. "It seems to me, like, perhaps he made an even bigger, like, impression on you than you know."

"Alright," Rogue muttered, standing in a huff and trudging back to her side of the room, "you've had your fun. We're even."

Kitty shook her head. "Not even, like, close."

Rogue peered over her shoulder at her roommate. "I'm sorry, Kitty. I really am."

"Thank you, Rogue."

"Are you going to be okay?"

Kitty mused for a moment. "I think so."

"Just as something to think about," Rogue suggested, shrugging, "the whole thing with Kurt was not part of it. Yes, we set him up with you, but anything you felt or experienced with him was not us. That was all Kurt."

"Hmm," Kitty thought aloud. "Good to know."

xXx

Lance was lounging on a dilapidated bench outside of the Brotherhood house, doing his best at coming up with a heartfelt poem for Kitty. Needless to say, catching her on a date with someone else made him realize just how serious she was. It also made him realize how much he missed her and wanted her back. He was so involved with what he was doing that he barely looked up from the pad of paper he was jotting his ideas on. It wasn't until a large shadow came over him, blocking out the summer sun, that he finally averted his eyes.

"What gives?" he asked, annoyed. He glanced upward and spied Rogue hovering over him, her hands impatiently on her hips. He jumped slightly, startled and slightly nervous. "Rogue!"

"Don't worry, I'm just here to offer you some advice," she informed. She came around the bench and sat next to him, or at least as best as she was able since it seemed to be slanting toward one side. "What's that?" She had spied his notepad and the numerous scribbles across it.

Defensively, Lance held the notepad to his body. "Nothing. Just a poem I was trying to write for Kitty—to get her to take me back."

"Let me see that." Rogue took the notepad, much against Lance's will, and chanced a look at it. "You aren't going to get her back with this." She tossed the notepad over her shoulder.

"Hey!" Lance protested.

"You'll thank me in the end," she insisted.

"What do you want, Rogue? Besides totally destroying all of my chances with Kitty, that is." He crossed his arms in a pouty manner.

"First of all I came by to apologize." Though it pained her to say that to him, she knew she had to do it. For, she had also harmed him with her shenanigans.

"Apologize for what?" Lance insisted, not any less suspicious.

"I may have been the one that instigated the break up between you and Kitty, and her interest in Kurt," she confessed.

"What?" Lance shouted, severely upset. He clenched his hands into fists, sitting up on the bench, and the ground began to shake violently around them.

"Now hang on just a minute," Rogue retorted. She gradually removed a glove, just in case she needed to resort to her powers.

"What did you do?" Lance demanded. He was still angry, but the tremors ceased.

"I didn't say that you don't have a chance of winning her back, Lance," she reminded. "So instead of wasting time being upset with me, why don't you go to Kitty?"

"That was my plan in the first place." Lance got to his feet. Though he was still brooding on what she had told him, it was obvious that he was more concerned with Kitty.

"Before you go," Rogue called, stopping him in his tracks, "I have a favor."

Lance pivoted, not too happy with her at that moment. "You ruin my relationship and then you expect me to help you?"

Rogue stood, annoyed now, as well. "I apologized, didn't I? Besides, I didn't have to come here and let you know about Kitty."

He sighed. "What do you want? Keep in mind that my patience is running very thin."

"I need you to contact Remy and set up a meeting. I need to speak to him," she informed.

"About what?"

"Nothing that concerns you," Rogue insisted. "You just arrange a time and place and leave the rest to me." She smirked.


	10. The Kiss

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

**Title:** Kissing Frogs

**Summary:** Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.

**Author's Note:** So the time has come, sad to say. This will be the final chapter in Kissing Frogs. I just want to thank everyone for their comments and their follows and views. I hope that this ending is satisfactory. I don't know that I could see it really going any other way. It kind of brings everyone's parts in full circle. Well…except for Kitty's cliffhanger. I intentionally did not have her make her "final" choice. I suppose that could be left up to the imagination. With Rogue's mutant ability, the kiss seemed a bit tricky. I hope what I have come up with will suffice. So, please, enjoy the final installment.

**Chapter 10 – The Kiss**

Remy strolled through the park, his hands buried deep in his pockets. It was a lovely day, and there were many people taking advantage of it about the park. Normally he would enjoy himself. He would smile at those passersby, even wink at the single young ladies. He would use his usual tactics to seduce one or more of them. He had his fun with it—like a game for his enjoyment. However, that particular day found Remy in a very pensive and rather sullen mood. He hardly noticed those he passed. He didn't keep track of the solitary women, as usual. He really found no interest in performing any of his typical stunts.

He was drawn back to the park, nonetheless. Unlike the other times, though, he found himself deep in contemplation. It had been a week since he had last seen Rogue—since she had revealed her true intentions in the middle of the restaurant to a crowd of gawkers.

He had actually been hurt by her deception, despite being in on the ultimate plan to trick Kitty. Needless to say, she certainly was not happy. He had felt a sense of betrayal. Hell, he still felt it. He had realized when he had given his terms that Rogue would be completely against it. He knew she would do everything in her power to get out of it. But, finding out about her intentions had still stung. She simply did not understand. And, perhaps it was that lack of understanding that she still possessed that upset him the most.

On that note, he pondered whether or not she would ever truly understand. He hadn't offered up the kiss because he wanted to hurt her or punish her. He had figured that if he helped with her scheme, as well, perhaps she would start to come around to him. And, for a moment there, he had thought that she was. Then that scene in the restaurant dashed all of his hopes.

Remy came upon his usual bench beneath the tree and eased down. He was supposed to be meeting Lance, of all people, in just a matter of minutes. Lance had kept his explanation for seeing him vague, which warned and intrigued Remy. He was certain, though, that it was something silly and stupid. Usually the Brotherhood only contacted him when they had female issues or needed somebody to be the tie breaker in one of their many arguments.

He gasped softly with sudden understanding. The only reason Lance could want to speak to Remy in person and in private would be to discuss Kitty. Of course Remy knew all about the situation. He was part of it! He definitely couldn't tell Lance that, though. Unless the miscreant already knew. The idea of Lance making a scene displeased Remy, but he felt too defeated to really care about a confrontation. In fact, a little part of him welcomed it. At least that would take his mind off of Rogue.

Mindlessly, he extracted his trusty deck of cards out of his leather trench coat and began shuffling them. Shuffling the deck of cards also organized his thoughts. His mind felt a little less messy. Even so, it was still solely focused on Rogue.

So much so that he believed he heard her voice ask, "Can you show me a trick?"

In fact, it was so convincing that he turned to see if she was actually there. And she was.

Rogue was leaning over the back of the bench, quietly watching him. His heart skipped a beat, but he still managed to keep his composure. He stopped shuffling and placed his cards back into his inner pocket. "Yeah," he replied, coldly, standing up. "How about the disappearing man?"

Remy began to walk away, but Rogue was quick to react. She came around to the front of the bench and called out to him. "Remy, wait, please."

He stopped and turned with a deep sigh. "Shouldn't I be getting back to my bimbos, Rogue?"

"If you'd like," she allowed with a shrug. "Or you could hear me out."

"Listen," he explained moving in closer, "I actually have to meet with Lance. So just make this quick."

"Lance isn't coming," she disclosed.

"What? Why not?"

"I had him arrange a meeting with you, so that I could see you," she informed solidly, calmly. "Otherwise, I don't think you would have ever agreed to see me. So, he's not coming."

"Well, you are right. I would have never agreed otherwise." He sighed, defeated, and sat back on the bench. Rogue sat next to him.

"I suppose just saying sorry won't cut it," Rogue initiated quietly. The mere look he gave her answered in the negative. "Remy, let me explain-"

"No, Rogue," Remy interrupted, getting to his feet again. "I don't want to hear it."

"But you don't understand-" she insisted.

"No, _you_ don't understand," he interrupted again. "Rogue, it's not about the kiss—it was never about the kiss. That was all you were concerned with, not me. I had hoped you would see past that, but I was wrong. Maybe I was wrong about you."

She heard the disappointment in his voice and was hurt. "Will you let me say something, Remy?" she asked after a momentary pause.

"If you must," he allowed, sitting back on the bench gingerly.

"You're such an idiot!" she bellowed, hitting him in the shoulder.

It hardly impacted Remy, but he was more surprised by what she had said. "What?"

"You heard me! You are such an idiot!" she repeated.

"Oh, I'm the idiot in this situation?" Remy questioned. To him it was quite absurd.

"Yes. If you would have just let me explain from the beginning, I would have covered that!"

"What do you mean?"

Rogue sighed, calming down. "Listen, I'm sorry, okay? But you have to know that you caught me off guard when all you wanted in return was a kiss. I mean, I know you're you, but really? You know who I am. You know what I can do…and what I can't do. Why would you even ask for that?"

Remy shook his head. "You even have to ask that, Rogue?"

Despite the blush crossing her cheeks, she told, "What was the first thing I told you when we started this, Remy? I don't know about any of this sort of thing."

"And what did I tell you, Rogue?"

She shook her head, unsure. She was concerned that he would not understand, or that he would be too upset with her to even take anything she said into consideration. She didn't know what to say. Or in the very least, she didn't know how to say it. Her hope was dropping by the minute. But then he did something unexpected. He smirked and reached over and held her head in between his hands. It caused the blush on her cheeks to spread and the butterflies in her stomach to flutter.

"I'm not afraid of you or your powers, _mon cher_," he explained once more in a silken voice.

Then he leaned in, closing the distance between them. His lips were on hers in a moment of excitement, surprise, and pure joy.

xXx

Remy blinked groggily, groaning as he tried to move. Every inch of his body felt heavy and sore.

"Don't get up too quickly," a voice next to him said. "You have to move slow."

Two arms snaked around him and assisted him into a sitting position. It was from there that his vision adjusted and he recognized Rogue. He smiled at her and she actually returned the gesture.

"Welcome back," Rogue greeted. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Glancing at the sky behind her, Remy could see the sun beginning to set. He had been out for hours. Though his head was still spinning, he remembered what had caused him to black out. He had finally gotten his kiss. He began to recall every second of it: the anticipation as he had leaned in close; her unsteady and unsure breath on his skin; the softness of her lips on his, and the tingling sensation that followed almost immediately.

"The best I ever had," he answered.

Rogue shook her head. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"I've been called worse."

Rogue eased down next to him on the grass with a small laugh. "So, there's just one question left."

"Let me guess. You want to ask me out." Faking, almost mockingly, he continued, "Well, Rogue, I don't know. I think you might be moving a little fast."

She shoved him playfully. "Not even close."

"So, what is it then?"

She paused dramatically. "Was it worth it?"

She didn't have to elaborate. He knew precisely what she was referring to. She was asking him about their time together and also about his request for a kiss from her—the untouchable girl. There was a lapse of a moment or two, as if he were truly weighing the answers available to him.

Despite everything, it was still Rogue. There was nobody else like Rogue, and there never would be. He had accepted that a long time ago. He had accepted her and everything that that entailed.

Remy grinned. "Absolutely."


End file.
